-LRB- CNN -RRB- For many kids living in rural and non-electrified parts of South Africa , the final school bell does n't just signal the end of another day of learning . Instead , it also means the beginning of an arduous trek through busy and dangerous roads to get back home in time to complete their homework before sunset .

For Thato Kgatlhanye , this was all too familiar . She saw it every day in her hometown of Rustenburg , a mining community in the North West province of South Africa .

So the young entrepreneur decided to do something about it .

`` This is our home . The reason we started this business is we looked at our community and we wanted to do work that matters , '' explains Kgatlhanye .

That work turned into Repurpose Schoolbags -- the first green initiative from Rethaka , a social startup Kgatlhanye co-founded alongside childhood friend-turned-business partner Rea Ngwane .

The millennial pair -- aged just 21 and 22 years old respectively -- are taking advantage of the plastic waste in their region , upcycling it into 100 % recycled plastic schoolbags for local disadvantaged students .

But here 's the twist -- the bag also doubles as a light .

The backpacks feature a solar panel in the flap -- which charges as the children walk to school -- as well as strips of reflective material , an added safety design to make the children more visible to traffic in the early hours .

A bright idea

`` One of the first obstacles these kids face is not being able to finish their homework , '' says Kgatlhanye , the first runner-up at the 2014 Anzhisha Prize , a pan-African award celebrating entrepreneurs aged 15-22 who 've come up with innovative ways to solve problems in their communities . `` If a child does n't have access to light then as soon as the sun goes down there is not time to do anything but sleep . ''

Kgatlhanye explains the design is to help poor households from using up candles which might otherwise have lasted an entire week . And the children can focus on their homework without worrying about disrupting the family dynamic .

`` A child simply does not have the luxury of burning the midnight oil and practicing their math sums until 12 o'clock at night because -LSB- the family -RSB- have one candle which was meant to be rationed for the whole week . ''

After a six-month pilot phase earlier this year , the resourceful entrepreneurs are now distributing their 100 % upcycled plastic bags to schools they 've identified around their howetown of Rustenburg .

The company has also teamed up with local individuals and corporates who are willing to cover the cost of the bags on behalf of the students . Depending on their donation , these so-called `` giving partners '' typically matched to a class , a grade or a school .

Overcoming challenges

Launched last year , Repurpose Schoolbags has grown to today employ eight full-time staff -- six of which are women -- while its workshop produces around 20 bags a day .

Yet , running such a business has n't been without challenges . Kgatlhanye says there was a fair few failures in the beginning -- especially around training staff . Another problem the two young businesswomen faced early on was the lack of infrastructure for plastic recycling . But instead of letting this become a setback , the pair went about creating it themselves .

`` We get -LSB- plastic -RSB- from landfill sites and collect it from schools that have come on board as `` Purpose textile banks '' and local schools run campaigns to get students to bring in plastic to be upcycled , '' Kgatlhanye explains .

`` The plastic comes to our workshop where we process them into a textile , sew it up with industrial sewing machines and then we distribute , '' she continues .

`` Seeing the kids believe that you can have waste and rubbish ... -LSB- that can be turned into -RSB- so much more -- you get kids being interested in recycling , whereas before you 're in a rural area the concept of upcycling is a foreign concept .

`` But when it comes in the form of a tangible product that helps you out -- now kids are picking up litter around the community , '' she adds .

New year , new products

Looking ahead , the two have big plans for the future . Kgatlhanye says they are already hard at work as they prepare to take on an additional 12 employees to meet the growing demand for their bags , as well as introduce new products .

She says : `` We 've gotten a huge interest from other countries across Africa . We 've also started with product development -- having other things for sale like conscience bags made out of the same material that corporates can then buy for their conferences and summits .

`` We 've also started development with a luxury brand to develop things like clutches . As part of the proceeds of the sales , we 'll be able to finance and subsidize these bags . ''

Photographs provided by Miora Rajaonary for Emerging Innovation , a new magazine of creative ideas and management practices in the Global South .

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Repurpose schoolbags is a green initiative from Rethaka , a South Africa-based startup

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Thato Kgatlhanye and Rea Ngwane founded the startup to create positive change

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Their 100 % recycled plastic schoolbags double as a nightlight for schoolkids

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The bag features a solar panel that is charged during the walk to school